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Regulatory compliance regarding Clean Water Act implementation varies on a state-by-state basis, but it doesn’t get much hotter than in the coastal states where much of the local economy depends on clean water resources. In the Sunshine State, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with implementing the requirements of total maximum daily loads and Basin Management Action Plans with the desired outcome of reducing nutrients to improve and protect surface waters. Jurisdictions are determining the right amount for healthy waters and developing plans and projects to reach those goals—which are costly. Stormwater utilities that can generate sufficient revenues to meet the challenges placed upon them today relative to resilient drainage and water quality are still a comparatively new phenomenon. This presentation will focus on emerging trends in funding stormwater programs that address compliance with nutrient regulations and resiliency to showcase more accurate and advanced fee structures to ensure equity in cost recovery.
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Read MoreCommunities big and small, rural and urban, are exploring smart city applications. Technology can offer wonderful benefits—making communities safer, easier to navigate, more efficient, and more engaged—but only when implemented…
Read MoreOne of the core jobs of the fleet manager is to make sure fleet assets are provided in a cost-effective, efficient manner. Having a solid, reliable basis for determining those…
Read MoreThe COVID pandemic accelerated retirement rates and caused an increase in the number of experienced snowfighters resigning, being furloughed or laid off. Some vacated positions have been eliminated or indefinitely frozen as the economy sharply declined and agencies had to cut budgets. Though the economy has rebounded, the outlook for the next year or so is still cautious. Prior to the pandemic, agencies were struggling to recruit and retain qualified and quality employees, especially roadway maintenance workers. That has been exacerbated by many job-seekers becoming more selective; road maintenance, and winter operations in particular, are regarded as low-skill, low-pay, dead-end positions. Much needs to be done to attract and hold good employees to build the ”pipeline” of future candidates. This presentation will discuss what agencies can do to recruit and retain critically needed snowplow operators.
Read MoreMobile sensors have evolved dramatically in the past few years. In this session the speaker will look at that evolution and how current sensors are being utilized by agencies. The newest sensors are giving operators and their agencies new data that has never been available before on snowplows. The new data will be discussed and how operators can use it, including how the presenters worked together to come up with a matrix to suggest treatments based on friction and pavement temperature trends.
Read MoreWe all deal with conflict in our lives and work, and most of us struggle with dysfunctional conflict. Would it surprise you to learn that many successful negotiators find conflict functional and a tool for creating collaboration? Having a better understanding of conflict management styles and tips to managing conflict can have a profound effect on your interpersonal relationships. Public land acquisition agents deal with landowners regularly who only wish to be left alone and begin almost every negotiation in a state of conflict. Learn from their experience during this session, adapted from the International Right of Way Association’s (IRWA) highly popular Conflict Management course, to help you deal with conflict in a productive manner and improve interactions with others.
Read MoreOur urban areas are growing, and our tree assets are competing for enough space and attention to thrive. This presentation will share information related to the intersection of trees, people, and technology. The speaker will share cutting-edge applications for technologies on machine learning, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), ground-penetrating radar, drones, and more related to the inventorying, maintenance, and planning for trees. He’ll also share ways to communicate and engage your community about your plans. As our cities deal with urban heat islands, flash floods, flash droughts, increased modernization, and other innovations, the urban forest becomes even more critical to the health and livelihood of residents. By embracing, understanding, and using technology, tree assets can be more efficiently managed and appreciated to provide increased benefits and services to the community.
Read MoreThe construction industry plays a major role in the nation’s efforts to protect streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and oceans. Municipal agencies must use their resources and authority to implement compliance programs to reduce non-stormwater discharges associated with construction projects. Stormwater pollution from construction sites is often underestimated yet can generate severe environmental impacts. According to the EPA, sediment pollution causes approximately $16 billion in environmental damage annually. The purpose of this educational session will be to guide attendees through the major steps municipal agencies need to take when responding to discharges from large-scale construction sites. When best management practices fail, stormwater theory and certification acronyms don’t impede the flow of hundreds of gallons of sediment-laden water into the storm drain system. A major construction site “blowout” is a stress test moment and can be a reality check for municipal agencies.
Read MoreThroughout the last two years, many of us have faced new experiences shaping how we view our future work lives. We’re contemplating career paths, reflecting on what motivates us, experiencing epiphanies, and making changes as a result. We’ve faced a new set of obstacles that’s created an opportunity to reexamine our lives. This panel of APWA leaders will provide an engaging open discussion about their careers—how they overcame barriers, faced adaption and personal resiliency, and pivoted during uncontrollable circumstances, similar to what some of us may be experiencing today. They’ll also focus on opportunities they never thought possible through public works and how their career paths shifted and changed throughout the years, offering a fresh, broad perspective of optimism and new ideas.
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